Tag-fastener



June 26, 1934. s. WEISS TAG FASTENER Filed Dec. 29, 1933 Fig.1. 18 11 16 'IIIIIIIIIII. I I Z INVENTOR, Samuel We iss.

ATTORNEY Patented June 26, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIC 10 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in tag fasteners, and it consists in the novel features which are hereinafter more fully described.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a perfected tag fastener which will not mutilate the garments'to which the tags may be fastened, nor any other garments which may come into contact with the fasteners, nor lacerate the hands of the operators who may handle the garments .with the fasteners thereon or attach the fasteners thereto.

Another object of my invention is to prevent the accidental disengagement of the fasteners from the garments to which they are attached or the tearing loose of the fasteners from the garments under any strain which the latter may be subjected to in the arts, such as in the operation of cleaning the garments.

A further object of my invention is to provide a perfected tag fastener which may easily be applied to and readily removed from a garment.

A still other object is to provide a perfected tag fastener which consists of a staple terminating in a pair of prongs, having thereon a means for restraining the ends of the prongs from being deflected transversely to the plane of the staple, thereby preventing any twisting strains on the fastener and on the fabric due to such transverse deflection, also to prevent any difliculty in attaching the fastener to the garment due to such transverse distortion of the prongs.

Another object of my invention is to have my perfected fastener simple, durable and inexpensive.

Other objects and advantages will hereinafter appear.

I attain these objects by the tag fasteners, several forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawing or by any mechanical equivalents or obvious modifications of the same.

In the drawing Fig. 1 is a front elevation of one form of my improved tag fastener, and Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of another form of my improved tag fastener, and Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the same.

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of a still other form of my improved tag fastener; Fig. 6 is a side elevation and Fig. '7 a plan of the same.

Fig. 8 is a front elevation of a variation of the form of my improved tag fastener which is shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and Fig. 9 is a plan and edge view of the same.

Fig. 10 is a front elevation and Fig. 11 is a plan and edge view of a variation of the form of my improved tag fastener which is shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7.

All the views are drawn to an enlarged scale and the thickness of the various members and parts of the fasteners are particularly exaggerated for the sake of clearness.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views:

In the form of my tag fastener, which is shown in Figs. 1 and 2, 11 designates the staple of my tag fastener, which is made of resilient metal, and 12 a fragment of a tag which may be connected thereto in any suitable manner.

The staple 11 has thereon and integral therewith a pair of prongs 12 and 14 which cross each other, as at 15 in Fig. 1.

The prong l3 terminates in a socket 16 which has the form of a ring or eye and the prong 14 terminates in a member 17 which has thereon an engaging end 18, which is preferably pointed.

The ring or eye 16 is large enough to receive therein the tapered end 18 of the member 17, but is restricted enough to prevent the passing of the member 17 therethrough and to prevent the end 18 from extending beyond the remote side of the socket 16 and mutilating garments or lacerating the hands of the operators.

To attach the fastener shown in Figs. 1 and 2 to a garment, the opposite sides of the staple 11 are pressed by the hand of the operator towards each other, thereby causing the prong 14 with the member 17--18 thereon and the prong 13 with the socket 16 thereon to recede from each other; a portion of the fabric of a garment is then placed therebetween, and the sides of the staple 11 are then released; whereupon the resilience of the prongs l3 and 14, which are preferably initially strained, causes the pin 1'l18 to press the fabric against the socket 16, thereby engaging the fabric.

To prevent overstraining the sides of the staple 11 beyond the elastic limit, I provide on one of the prongs of the fastener a shoulder 19, whereby to intercept the other prong after the sides of the said staple have been pressed towards each other, thereby limiting the deflection of the prongs 13 and 14 in a direction away from each other and the extent of the compression of the sides of said staple 11.

In the form of my tag fastener shown in Figs.

3 and 4 the socket 26 has the shape of an inverted U and is long enough to permit the prong 23 to be guided by the two legs 26a and 26b of the 13, thereby preventing the deflection of the prong 23 transversely to the plane of the fastener.

The member 2'! at the end of the prong 23 is shown as inclined inwardly, whereby more effectively to reta n a fabric engaged by the end 28 thereof, which may be either pointed or hatchet shaped.

The socket 26 has its front leg 26a terminating in a coil 30, thereby eliminating sharp points at the end of the said leg 26a, to prevent the tearing of adjacent garments or lacerating the hands of the operators.

A shoulder 29 is provided on the prong 23 to intercept the prong 24, thereby limiting the rela tive deflection of the prongs 23 and 24 and thereby also preventing the overstraining of the sides of the staple 21, which is shown as having a tag 1 connected thereto. 1

In the form of my tag fastener which is shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7 the socket member 36 terminates in a bifurcation 36a to receive therein between the two branches of the bifurcation the pointed or hatchet shaped end 38 of the engaging member 37, whereby to engage a fabric therebetween.

A shoulder 39 is provided on one of the two prongs 33 and 34 which cross each other at 35; the shoulder is shown on the prong 33 in Figs. 5, 6 and 7, to intercept the other of the two prongs, thereby preventing the overstraining of the sides 31 and 32 of the fastener staple which may be connected to a tag, which has been omitted in Figs. 5 and 6.

The form of my tag fastener shown in Figs. 8 and 9 is a modification of my tag fastener shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and differs from the latter in that the prongs 43 and 44 are open instead of being crossed as in the form shown in Figs. 1 and 2. No shoulder or any other means are provided for limiting the extent of the relative deflec-' tion of the two sides 41 and 42 of the staple. The prongs 43 and 44 may be opened by pulling them apart with the fingers of one hand, if desired, as by gripping one of the prongs between the thumb and index of one hand and pulling or pushing the other prong away therefrom with one or more of the other fingers of the hand.

The fastener may be made of stouter wire, if desired, than that of the other modifications, which are hereinbefore described.

The socket 46 and member 47-48, of Figs. 8 and 9, are similar to the socket 16 and member 17-18 of Figs. 1 and 2. The sides 41 and 42 of the staple may also be initially strained.

The tag, which may be connected to the staple 4142 has been omitted in Figs. 8 and 9 of the drawing.

The form of my tag fastener which is shown in Figs. 10 and 11 of the drawing is a modification of my tag fastener which is shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7 and differs from the latter in that the prongs 53 and 54 are open instead of being crossed as in the form shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7. No shoulder is provided on either of the prongs 53 and 54 which may be separated by pulling them in opposite directions as in the form of my fastener which is shown in Figs. 8 and 9. The staple 51 may also have its sides initially strained.

The socket member 56'56a and the engaging member 57-58 are similar to the corresponding members 3636a and 3738 of Figs. 5, 6 and 7.

The fasteners of all of the above modifications may be made of resilient material and may be either round, as shown in the drawing, or have any other outline in cross-section.

Many other changes may be made in the details of my tag fasteners without departing from the main scope of my invention, and part of my invention may be used without other parts.

I do not, therefore, restrict myself to the details as shown in the drawing, but I intend to include also all mechanical equivalents and obvious modifications of the same within the scope of my invention.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a tag fastener, a resilient staple adapted to be connected to a tag and having thereon a pair of prongs, the ends of said prongs normally being pressed towards each other, one of said prongs having thereon an engaging member extending towards the end of the other prong, and the other of said prongs terminating in a member having thereon a socket wherein to receive the end of said engaging member, whereby to grip a part of a fabric therebetween, and said socket being adapted to prevent the protruding of the end of the engaging member beyond the side of the socket which is remote from the engaging member.

. 2. The elements of claim 1, said engaging member terminating in a tapered end and said socket consisting of an eye wherein to receive said end.

3. The elements of claim 1, said engaging member-terminating in a tapered end and said socket consisting of a member having the shape of an inverted U, to receive therein said end and the legs of said U to act as a guide for said first mentioned prong -to.prevent the deflection of the latter in a direction transversely to said staple.

4. The elements of claim 1, said engaging member terminating in a tapered end, said socket member extending towards said engaging member and said socket consisting in a bifurcation at the end of the socket member to receive therein said tapered end.

5; The elements of claim 1, said prongs being disposed crosswise to each other, whereby to be separated by pressing the lower parts of the sides of said staple towards each other, combined with an offset on one of said prongs, said offset having thereon a part disposed transversely to the other prong, whereby to intercept the other prong, thereby limiting the extent of the relative deflection of said prongs and thereby 'preventing the excessive straining of the metal of the staple.

6. The elements of claim 1, said engaging member terminating in a tapered end and said socket consisting of an eye which is large enoughto receive therein the tapered end of the engaging member and restricted enough to prevent the passage of said engaging member therethrough and to prevent the extension of said tapered end beyond the side of the socket which is remote from said end.

7. The elements of claim 1, said engaging member terminating in a tapered end and said socket consisting of a member having the shape of an inverted U, to receive therein said end, said U-shaped member having an opening between'the branches thereof, said opening being wide enough to receive therein said end, and restricted enough to prevent the passage of said engaging member therethrough and to prevent the extension of said end beyond the side of the socket which is remote from said end.

8. The elements of claim 1, said engaging member terminating in a tapered end, said socket member extending towards said engaging member and said socket consisting of a bifurcation 1,se4,ses

which has therein a substantially V-shaped opening between its branches to receive therein said end.

9. The elements of claim 1, said engaging member terminating in a tapered end, said socket consisting of a U-shaped member to receive therein said end and the legs of said U to act as a guide for said first mentioned prong, to prevent the deflection of the latter in a direction transversely to said staple, and the outer leg 

